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In September, I killed time while waiting for a hurricane to hit.  Of course, if I was 18 years old instead of 83 years old I would be killing time on my iPhone, playing a digital game. 

Guess what, this old dude can use digits to kill time too – we all can. On the internet I found this story.  Over in Paris and Singapore they are Doodling and using the digits of Facebook to share the doodles.  Here is one story about Singapore doodlers:

“When commuting on trains or buses in Singapore.  Erwin Lian whips out his trusty fountain pen and sketchbook and starts doodling away.

While other commuters take naps or busy themselves with their phones, the 37-year-old Lian sketches to kill time. His creations, which can sometimes take up to 20 minutes to complete, typically include the people he sees on public transport.  He says “The public commute presents a unique and safe setting to practise what I love.”

The adjunct lecturer at Singapore’s Ngee Ann Polytechnic is part of a small group, known as the Commute Sketchers, who document their surroundings while traveling on trains, buses and other forms of transport.

Then they digitize their doodle sketches and share them world-wide on Facebook.  Some of their sketches have gone on display at several train stations and bus interchanges. And their sketches and doodle art may soon get even more exposure on the internet!

We all have waiting time to kill – waiting for an event we know will happen to us. The northeast folks were told of an impending Nor’easter days before it hit.  In Florida, we are told of the Hurricane days before it hits us.  I flew for my job in the 1980’s  – every week I sat for hours on planes heading to Europe or California – lots of time to kill. On Drummond we stand and wait for the old-fashioned credit card machine at the grocery store to process our card.

The store owners Dale and Kelly, put an 8 x 10 card on the shelf that we will use to sign the receipt. Some of us doodle on the card while waiting for the receipt we need to sign.  

Today I am waiting in Florida again. I am just killing time until Monday when I go to the hospital for a heart valve replacement procedure.  

So, how do I pass time?  I DOODLE.  But this time, waiting for Monday to arrive, I am even more modern than the commuters in Singapore or the doodlers on Drummond Island. I digitally Doodle.  Often, starting my doodle with a digital photograph.  I will show you a few digital doodles I did just this week:

My Mom was a reader, a reciter.  If you did not grow up in a farm community of the Church of the Brethren and Mennonites, as I did, you may not know what a reader or reciter is.  Dunkards, as we Brethren were colloquially called, had readers.  At special church services, instead of preaching, the “reader” recited poems from memory. I always thought it was better than preaching anyway.  But, Mom was one of the “reciters” – she was the best, I must say –  could go on for nearly an hour reciting poem after poem – of course with the singing of hymns interspersed. 

What is poetry anyway? I looked it up on the internet:  Poetry is a type of literature, or artistic writing, that attempts to stir a reader’s imagination or emotions. The reader conveys this by carefully choosing and arranging words and intonations for emotion, meaning, sound, and effect.

I remember tough old German farmers wiping tears from their eye as Mom recited poems. She really brought meaning and emotion as she recited poems like this:

Gently, Lord, oh, gently lead us 

Through vale of tears, 

Though thou’st decreed us, 

Till our last great change appears.

Angel voices sweetly singing, 

Echoes through the blue dome ringing, 

News of wondrous gladness bringing… 

Ah, ’tis heaven at last!

Why in the world am I telling you all of that – I guess the impact of the first 20 years of our lives are the foundation for what we are – and 20 years of the full immersion in the Brethren faith stayed with me even through careers and marriages that took me to enjoy many other lives and geographies – my mind can still go back home and vicariously through the my apple computer’s digits, ponder early years.

So, I got to playing around with Photoshop – took a selfie – and created four surreal images that needed an explanation or a descriptive title – I thought of poetry as a way to do that. That is how I got to the subject of poetry: 

From The Song of Hiawatha by Henry W Longfellow

Before I try to make sense – Donald Wyllie sent a photo and some words that do make sense:

NOW I WILL TRY TO MAKE SENSE:

I have read this: In the Roman empire, many many years ago it was carved in stone -“Repetitio mater studiorum est.” If you are not sure what that means I will tell you.

It says:  “Repetition is the mother of all learning” – Those Romans were smart say I.

Cambridge University found you can learn a new language at any age.  Their research determined that all you need to do is say a word 160 times in 14 minutes to truly know it.  Say they, repetition is the key to learning a new language.

Ask I – how does that apply to Birds-of-a-Feather (BOAF) in the TGO Photo Club?  The answer is: The concept of BOAF is to focus on one photographic topic of interest, repeat only that photo interest for awhile, and share with others in your BOAF group:  

These are two learning elements for us older folks:

1. REPETITION — BOAF have selected one subject to photograph over and over until we get it right or get bored with it. Then we can move on to something else.

2. SENIOR LEARNING – Learn by doing and sharing with other BOAF members – not from a lecturer and text-book.

So, that is my advertisement for the day.

Here is a partial list (Two dozen) of photograph genres that you may want to choose to BOAF with – on the first three I posted some of my photos –  I wish I would have been able to shoot them with a group and get to see their ideas on how to photo the same subjects:

1.  Clouds

2. Reflections 

3. Seasonal changes

4. Photo art                  (I had one person ask could this be a BOAF group)

5.  Words and pictures (I had one experienced writer in the TGO Photo Club suggest this as a BOAF group)

6.  Bird Photography – (I had one experienced photographer in the TGO Photo Club ask to be part of this BOAF group)

7. Auto rallies

8.  Home and community to show friends your Florida home

9. Aerial photography

10. Landscape                                                                       

11. Cityscapes                                                                                                   

12. Night Lights

13. Portrait Photography                                                                                                                                                        

14. Photographing Trees                                                                                      

15.Photographing Flowers                                                                                     

16. Urban and suburban animals  (Rabbits, squirrels, skunks, armadillos, etc)                                                                                  

17. Farm animals

18. Zoo animals

19. Auto races

20. Creek beds

21. Churches

22. Pets

23. Texture

24. Food products 

Before you look at my photos and before you read my idea for the Photo Club this fall, Click on the Photo Shoots images  in the left column.  Dave Cesari and Bob Hazlett sent some great photos.  Jim Dick said I could use any photos he posted on Facebook – I downloaded two and also posted them  on Photo Shoots images.

MY PHOTOS:

MY IDEA FOR THE PHOTO CLUB:

In the last 6 weeks I been telling you of my pondering.  Pondering about how we, as individuals, could better enjoy our photographing experiences. 

Now, I have been pondering about how we, not as individuals, but as bird-of-a-feather, might help each other improve out photographs.  

First, I will tell you two short stories to explain how I came up with the idea of adults helping adults learn:

Story 1 – I am very fond of a 58-year-old person who is the manager of 30 millennials.  He tells me of the challenges the millennials give him – Says he, “They just don’t think the way I think and they have different values and work habits.” 

I ask “Or is it that you have not studied how to work with them and accept their new way of thinking?”  He said back to me, “You are right, I am not really studying. But, I am learning.  Day by day I do the job. Each evening we managers get-together.  We are all going through the same challenges. We are like birds-of-a-feather learning from each other.”

Story 2 Many years ago I took early retirement from IBM. Part of the package was that IBM would pay to retrain me and my wife for a second career.  We chose a Masters Degree program at the University of Rhode Island in Adult Education.  We had a challenge learning from text books and lectures. After many years of learning on the job, Gloria and I were no longer in the mood to learn from text books and lectures. So, we discussed this conflict with our professor.

Professor “Dr L. Vandenberg said, in addition to attending education sessions, adults are motivated to learn if learning involves:

1. sharing their experience.

2. a specific area of interest.

3. contributing to the learning of their co-learners.  

4. an immediate application of what they learned.

Now I got it! As adults, Gloria and I were different from all of the young students. They were comfortable with learning from text books and lectures. Gloria and I were two birds of a feather. We were more comfortable with the adult model of learning.  We shared our past teaching experiences, our interest was limited to learning how to teach adults, we helped each other, and we planned to teach adult classes at the University of Texas just as soon as we graduated.

After that discussion with the professor, Gloria and I were more motivated, learned a lot, and completed together our Master’s Program. We learned by being two birds of a feather.

Last week, I pondered, “Can this birds-of-a-feather idea help us in the TGO Photo Club learn to improve our photographs.”

Here is some details on my pondering: 

In our regular bi-monthly meetings, this 2019-2020 season, Donald Wyllie’s Education Committee will have education sessions, and Ed Swan  will have sharing time as in the past.  These meetings are a gathering of all of us – all with a general interest in photography. Then, Nancy always plans numerous great field trips for us. I am assuming she will continue field trips this new season.

I have been pondering – In addition to these regular meetings, maybe the club should formally encourage “Birds-of-a-Feather” – groups of members, with specific interests, getting-together on days other than our bi-monthly meeting.  

These  Birds-of-a-Feather get-togethers would have no teacher. Just a group of people wanting to learn from each other.  Not to teach but simply get to gather to share interests and expertise. 

For example, areas such as studio portraits, bird photography, post processing software, nature trail photography, video photography, travel story photographs, real estate photography, landscape photography, and the list goes on.

Tell me at jimbrubaker@earthlink.net what you think of the “Birds-of-a-Feather” idea.   Do you have a specific area of interest.

Bob’s photos of Bar Harbor made me ponder, why do we take photos, especially when we travel and most travel photos are available on-line. I will tell you of my pondering about this after you look a Bob’s photos below: 

Jim’s Pondering:

Bob’s photos really took me back to Bar Harbor 30 years ago.  It was my favorite go-to spot in the world.  His photos awakened my mind to that – awakening many wonderful feelings that were sleeping in the back of my mind for years – Thanks, Bob. 

Bob made me think of the evening strolls in Bar Harbor after a great dinner of Lobster, of the Village Green, the house we put a bid in to buy, the cruise ships coming into the harbor, the trips to Jordan Pond, of Mount Desert Island, Thunder Hole, Carriage Roads, Bike rides through Acadia National Park, Frenchman Bay, Cadillac Mountain, Kayak rides with friends by Bar Harbor Camp Ground, Waiting to select the best camp site in the morning, Wild blueberry picking for breakfast – and the list goes on – each one having a whole “STORY” to be told.

There are many importance reasons to have photos.  One reason is, photographs play an important role in everyone’s life – they connect us to our past, they remind us of people, places, feelings, and STORIES.

Even if we could find a copy of the travel photograph on the internet – our photo is our story. It is the story that we hear whispered into our ear years later! 

Not just photos of Bar Harbor not just photos of far off travel trips, but photos of trips anywhere in our life – maybe just a trip to our dinning room with family is a trip sufficient for us to photograph it and create a story that we tell and subconsciously gets whispered into our ear as we ponder our journey years later.

I went back into my photo history and selected a few photos to think about stories I could write.  I silently whispered, into my ears, the story behind each one – I smiled as I did it.

Now, go look at your collection of photos and smile as you whisper, into your own ears, the story each photo holds for you. Then remember to often add to your collection.

I am not much good at answering questions – but I can ponder.  Read of my pondering at the bottom of the page after you enjoy these photos by Bob and Bill!

Spains and Hazletts at the original  “Cheers” in Boston, MA

Old North Bridge, Concord, MA

Old Union Oyster House established 1826 in Boston, MA. Had to eat here!

Concord, MA

“embattled farmer stood … fired the shot heard round the world.”

Concord, MA

“embattled farmer stood … fired the shot heard round the world.”

Thought you might appreciate these that I just took today.

Bill White

Abraham Lincoln is quoted to having said something like this:  “I could not sleep when I got on the hunt for an understanding, I focused until I had caught it. This was a passion with me.”

NOW, MY PONDERING!

Someone ask me “How can I teach myself to become a better photographer and have fun doing it?”

So, I studied. Passion and niche are two terms that kept cropping up. 

Author Maria Brophy says “It’s okay to photograph a lot of different things. But if you want to create photos that are applauded by others, you have to focus on just one area at a time.  When you focus in one area that you have a passion for and consistently work on it, you get better and better at it. Eventually, you become the go-to person in that area.”

These three people did that – look them up on the web:

Anne Geddes: Photographs tiny babies placed in flowers and plants.

Thomas Kinkaide: Painter of little cottages in bucolic settings.

Clark Little: Photographs the shore-break of waves in Hawaii.

Ask yourself:

What do I really feel passionate about? (People, places, things) 

What is one thing that sets my photos apart from others? (Style, theme) 

What photo project did I do in the past that I really, really enjoyed, and that easily flowed out of me and my camera?

Why was it so easy for me? (The people, medium, project, or what?) Where do I WANT to focus my time and efforts? (Not “should” but “want”) 

EXAMPLE: If you wrote that you love photographing island flowers against a uniform color background and your live on Drummond Island.  Your niche would be that of a Drummond Island flower photographer. Soon, you would be ask publish photos of Island flowers in local news papers and tourist brochures. Soon you could be the go-to person for flower photography on the Island  –  you followed your passion and found your photographic niche.

Oh well, you can see I really pondered the question: “How can I teach myself to become a better photographer and have fun doing it?”

You may want to ponder what I wrote. Then ponder the photos that Club members post here. Do you think any of them focus on a passion for a specific niche?  Do you know who most likely took the photo before you look at the name?

Hey, I have been thinking about how to make the TGO Photo Club fun for more TGO’ers. – I want to invite, into the club, people who never think of themselves as photographers or artists! “Birds-of-a-Feather” is one idea that may make the club inviting for many.

Digital cameras – especially the cell phone camera – made each of us a photographer and artist. We now transform our very own unique vision of the world into digital art every day – without a lot of expertise in equipment, processes, or knowledge of the elements of art.  Mobile devices bring new possibilities to the table.

Mobile devices are discrete.  Moments are not disrupted by balky equipment.

Mobile devices are ever-present. We capture fleeting moments unavailable to bulky equipment and artists pallets.

Mobile devices are immediate.  You can review your shot on the spot and redo it to be sure to capture your own unique vision of the moment. 

Mobile devices are collaborative.  The social networks allow us to share and get feedback in an instant.

Hey, I want to diverge and tell you a story about a cell phone – just for laughs:

My daughter Heather taught me, or did I teach her, to stay busy and enjoy each day and each moment.  We share a lot of moments via social media – in our case,  e-mail and text. 

She earns a living by thinking – but her schedule is so busy that some things must get done without thinking – she prioritizes – thinks about the new challenges and does the routine things automatically.  

This morning, she was in the kitchen on the phone talking to a prospective buyer, sorting papers, thinking about how to make the sale, preparing a cup of coffee to put in the micro-wave and take with her as she drove to meet a prospective buyer. Phone conversation over, she opened the micro-wave and popped the phone into the micro-wave, gathered up the papers and ran for the car. Oops, said she, I forgot my coffee, back into the kitchen – opened the micro-wave to get the coffee and was met by a cloud of stinky black smoke and a smoldering cell phone!

Yep, after a successful sales meeting – off to the Version store to spend much of her commission on a new cell phone.  Like the insurance advertisement says “We have seen a thing or two.”

Immediately, with her ever-present new cell, she sent me a photo of the smoldering old phone to ask me what I thought her daily pace did to her brain. – Together we laughed. (In this case the new phone camera made sharing the days happening immediate and collaborative.)

Hope you loved that true story – OK, back to the TGO Photo Club.  I want to make the TGO Photo Club a place for all of us to learn more, share, and collaborate according to each of our own  interest.  I want it to be a place for those who fully comprehend the power of the latest cameras and expensive lens, those who know the complexity of post processing software, those who have studied the elements of art, and those who love the ever-present aspects of mobile devises.  Some parts of the club will fit all of us.  But some of us must gather in smaller groups like Birds-of-a-Feather.

 More on that later. 

Here are some examples of digital sharing from Jim Dick, Bob Hazlett, and myself:

Bob Hazlett

Hey, this is a fun philosophical topic to think about.  Maybe someone would like to research it and make a presentation to the Photo Club this season.  Bring your ideas to the Education Group and see what they think.

Since Bob Hazlett sent some great photos of his travel this summer – in Cape Cod and Hyannis  – I wanted to introduce them in this blog – So, I started to think why I was so glad he sent them – I went to the internet and thought a little about it  – You know, I think our Club should learn more about why we enjoy seeing photos – I bet if we all think about why we photographers  photograph, we will become better photographers and enjoy our sport a little more.

From the Internet:

Didn’t have a camera by my side this time,
hoping I would see the world through both my eyes.

Today I finally overcame,
trying to fit the world inside a picture frame.

Maybe you should have seen that sunrise with your own eyes;
it brought me back to life.

—John Mayer, “3×5”

That does not sound right because here I am the leader of the Photo Club  I take photos every day – some times every hour – I could have ask “Why take photos?”  So I went to the internet and ask that question.  I found many articles and essays on the subject.

Here is a portion of just one essay I found:

“During my last vacation, I avoided reaching for my phone to take pictures. Though I was conscious about this choice, I slipped up a few times. Every beautiful sunset, every Wyoming sky, every rushing Montana river, brought with it the twitch, an urge to reach for my camera-phone and seize the picturesque setting. I resisted, though, and after an instant of hesitation, I was able to enjoy each event for all its worth—not attempting to put a piece of it in my pocket to save for later. I took it all in—right then, right there—enjoying the experience for what it was: a perfect moment.

Don’t get me wrong: I think photography is a beautiful art form. When well-executed, photos are breathtaking. Furthermore, we’re a visual culture, so pictures play a large role in the way we communicate. I’m not going to stop taking photos altogether, but I am going to remain more cognizant of my surroundings. I’m going to enjoy the experience first and embrace the impermanence of the moment. And if an unobtrusive opportunity arises to snap a photos, then I will. Maybe. Or maybe not. It’s okay to be on the mountain without proving to everyone else you were there to see it.”

I am not sure I like the tone of that essay – Here is where it sent my mind:

So, do you snap photos to prove you were there, to refresh you memory of the moment when alone six months later in the dead of winter, or in the dead of winter does your photo help you tell a story at that social cocktail party.

My thought is:  If you are on a photo shoot looking for birds, taking a walk around the TGO community/nature trail,  on a travel to Cape Cod, or enjoying life on my Great Lake called  Naadowewi-Gichigami (Lake Huron), enjoy the experience first and embrace the impermanence of the moment, them snap photos often.  You will have time to enjoy the moment and snap photos.  Then use your photographs – Share them to encourage others to enjoy photography, share them to let others simply stay in touch with you, share later over cocktails to serve as an aid to telling your story, in the dead of winter refresh your memory of the moment, and look at them anytime and marvel that your photograph is a piece of art that you and your friends love.  Why we humans love art is another whole topic but we do love to look at art.

So, say I, keep that shutter going on every trip – not just in your motor home, but on those trips through all the hours of your life! Where ever they may be.